UPCOMING TRIBAL ELECTION NEWS

The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Tribal Election will be held this spring for the positions of Chief Executive and District I Representative. The Primary Election will be held on April 2 with the General Election to be held on June 11.

The candidate lottery was live-streamed at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, February 16. Below is the order in which the candidates will appear on the primary ballot. Please note, per the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Election Ordinance for Chairperson (At Large) Nay Ah Shing School Board Member, the position only has two certified candidates, so they will not be on the primary election.

Chief Executive:

Samuel Archie Moose

Wallace Ervin St. John

Virgil Otis Wind

District I Representative:

Valerie Charissa Harrington-Wind

Megan Ann Ballinger

Melissa Marie Boyd

Carolyn Marie Beaulieu

Curtis LeRoy Kalk

Billie Jo Boyd

District I Nay Ah Shing School Board Member:

Semira Kimpson

Chairperson (At-large) Nay Ah Shing School Board Member:

Kimberly Kegg

Leann Benjamin

District II Nay Ah Shing School Board Member:

Sami Thomas.

Primary Elections

In the event only two candidates are certified for an office, there will be no Primary Election for that position. If more than two persons are certified under this Ordinance as candidates for any one office in either a Regular or Special Election, there must be a Primary Election ("Primary") prior to the Regular or Special Election. The General Reservation Election Board must certify the two candidates with the most votes in the Primary for the office at issue as the only candidates in the Regular or Special Election. The candidate with the most votes in the Regular or Special Election will be the winning candidate and will be entitled to assume the duties of office.

Candidate forums will be held in March prior to the Primary Election. Band members are encouraged to attend any or all of the forums to learn as much as possible about each candidate. Please note the forums in Districts II, IIa, and III will be for the position of Chief Executive only. Each forum will begin at 5:30 p.m.

IMPORTANT DATES

CANDIDATE FORUMS

March 18 — District III, Aazhoomog 5:30 p.m.

March 19 — District II, Minisinaakwaang 5:30 p.m.

March 20 — District IIa,Chiminising 5:30 p.m

March 21 — Urban, All Nations Church 5:30 p.m.

March 22 — District I, Old District I Community Center 5:30 p.m.

APRIL 2 — Primary Election (Polling places open from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.).

APRIL 3 — General Reservation Election Board certifies Primary Results (prior to 8 p.m.).

APRIL 4 —General Reservation Election Board publishes Primary Results.

APRIL 5 — Deadline for Request for Recount (filed with General Election Board prior to 5 p.m.).

JUNE 11 — General Election (polling places are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)

JUNE 12 — General Reservation Election Board certifies results of Election (prior to 8 p.m.).

JUNE 13 — General Reservation Election Board publishes election results.

JUNE 14 — Deadline for request for recount (filed with General Election Board prior to 5 p.m.).

NOTE: Complete Election Calendar can be found at https://millelacsband.com/government/electioninformation.

POLLING PLACES

District I: Old District I Community Center, 43500 Virgo Road, Onamia, MN 56359

District IIa: Isle Community Center, 2605 Chiminishing Drive, Isle, MN

District II: East Lake Community Center, 46666 State Hwy 65, McGregor, MN

District III: Lake Lena Community Center 45749 Grace Lake Rd., Sandstone, MN 55072

Urban: All Nations Church, 1515 East 23rd St., Minneapolis, MN 55404